Utility cabinet



March 1, 1960 Filed Aug. 16, 1956 FIGJ- O. J. MITCHELL UTILITY CABINET 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Orrin J. Mitchell 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 o. J. MITCHELL UTILITY CABINET F l G.3.

FIG.4.

March 1, 1960 Filed Aug. 16, 1956 INVENTOR. Orrin J. Mitchell s n (amFIG.6.

FIG.7.

United States 4 Patent UTILITY CABINET Orrin J. Mitchell, Le Roy, N.Y.,assignor to Union Steel Chest Corporation, Le Roy, N.Y., a corporationof New York Application August 16, 1956, Serial No. 604,442

4 Claims. (Cl. 312-108) This invention relates ,to improvements inarticles of furniture and more particularly is directed to a new andnovel construction for a chest or cabinet containing a multiplicity ofremovable drawers or receptacles.

Many business establishments handle a multiplicity of small articleswhich are required to be kept in individual containers or receptaclesforconvenient selection when required for sale. Also in homes andworkshops there are many small items which are handled daily or requireddaily for use and which are at the present time kept in a miscellaneousassortment of receptacles or containers which, as a usualthing, have noorderly arrangement by which the contents can be found easily andquickly when wanted for use.

The employment of suitable compact units having a number of individualcompartments within which to keep various small items in businessestablishments or in homes, for work or for play, as in the pursuit ofvarious hobbies, accordingly would make the work less tedious and wouldgive more pleasure in the following of hobbies which so many people nowhave.

ice 1 the present invention, While they rnay be and are produced indifferent sizes, that is, to have different numbers of drawers orcompartments, such as 12-drawer units or 24-drawer units, if it shouldbe desired to assemble several of such units in a stack, no means isprovided for securing one unit to or upon the other or for locking theseveral stacked units together.

It is, of course, known that there are available cabinets of metal, orother material, having individual drawers or compartments or drawersdivided into smaller compartments, which are designed for containingassorted articles and such cabinets are used in some business houses andin homes and also in hobby shops or workrooms. However, such cabinets,which are usually formed of sheet metal, because of the manner of theirconstruction, are costly and, therefore, many persons, even in businessestablishments, prefer to make their own arrangements for keeping smallarticles in the desired separated relation.

In the light of the foregoing it is, accordingly, a particular object ofthe present invention to provide, in the manner as hereinafter setforth, a new and novel cabinet structure embodying a multiplicity ofreceptacles or drawers, which is designed in a unique manner whereby itcan be constructed preferably of sheet metal, in

' an easy and inexpensive manner, and may, therefore, be

retailed at a relatively low cost, thus putting the cabinet within thefinancial reach of persons who might not be otherwise able to afford thesame.

Metal cabinets of the type of the present invention are conventionallyfabricated by having the several parts thereof secured together bywelding, which accounts for a considerable amount of the cost ofconstruction and t which cost, of course, must be reflected in theretail cost Another object, in'the light of the foregoing, is to providean improved cabinet unit wherein a novel means is provided for elfectinga locking coupling between the base of one unit and the top of anothersimilar unit upon which it may be placed so that the two units, or moreif desired, will, in effect, become one and can be handled as such.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cabinet structure havinga number of individual drawers, wherein a new and novel means isemployed for coupling drawer supporting shelves with vertical side wallsof the cabinet shell or frame, mechanically and without welding.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a cabinet structureembodying shelf-supporting side walls wherein each side wall has a baseportion designed to be modified by the user of the cabinet in a waywhich facilitates the securing of the cabinet to and upon the top ofanother cabinet of like construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cabinet structureembodying side walls, drawer supporting shelves and a top wherein suchelements are designed to be stamped from suitable sheet metal and formedin such stamping to provide in the side walls and shelves elementsadapted to be interlocked in the assembly of the parts whereby the sidewalls are securely coupled together by the shelves.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe description of the same proceeds and the invention will be bestunderstood from a consideration of the following detail descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawings, with theunderstanding, however, that the invention is not confined to a strictconformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed ormodified so longassuch changes or modifications mark no materialdeparture from the salient features of the invention as expressed in theappended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of one complete cabinet unit constructedin accordance with the present invention and shown in vertically spacedrelation with the upper portion of a second and similar cabinet unit andillustrating the manner in which the units are coupled or lockedtogether when stacked one upon the other;

Fig. 2 is an exploded view of a complete cabinet unit shell or framewithout the drawers;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the cabinet unit illustratingparticularly the bendable tongues provided to facilitate the coupling ofthe bottom of one cabinet with the top of an underlying one;

d Fig. 4 isa transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line44 of Fig. l; d p, p

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the line 55 ofFig. 4 through a portion only of the cabinet structure and illustratingin broken lines one drawer therein; 7 d

Fig. 6 is a detail section illustrating the locking coupling between thebottom flange of one side wall of a cabinet and the top panel of anunderlying cabinet;

Fig. 7 is a view in perspective of the rear portion of a drawer showingthe stop means carried by the back wall thereof for limiting the in andout sliding movemerits of the drawer on its supporting shelf; and

Fig. 8 is a detail section on an enlarged scale taken substantially onthe line 8-8 of Fig. 5, showing the 3 lock which is effected between aside wall strap and a shelf tongue.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral generallydesignates a 12-drawer cabinet unit constructed in accordance with thepresent invention. In this connection it is to be pointed out that whilea unit has been shown with three shelves having four drawers on each,making a 12-drawer unit, there is no intention to limit the invention toany particular size or any particular number of drawers in the unit asit will be readily obvious from the hereinafter set forth descriptionthat the drawers may be made of different sizes and that the unit shellor frame can be made to receive a lesser number of drawers than are hereshown or a greater number. Preferably the units are made in 12 and 24drawer sizes but, of course, as above stated, other sizes may be madewithout departing from the spirit of the present invention.

In Fig. l of the drawings there is Shown one full or complete unit aboveand in spaced relation with the top part of a second unit of likeconstruction. This figure in addition to showing the unit and itsvarious elements, is intended also to illustrate how one unit may bedeposited upon the top of another and securely fastened or coupledthereto in the manner hereinafter set forth in detail.

The cabinet 10 embodies the two side walls or side wall plates 12; anumber of shelves each of which is generally designated 14 and which issupported between the side walls, and a top plate or panel which isgenerally designated 16 and which finishes off the top of the cabinet,connecting the top ends of the side walls 12 together.

As is clearly shown in Fig. 2, each of the side walls 12 is formed bypressing or stamping to provide the vertical edge flanges 18 which inthe assembled cabinet are turned inwardly and which form an integralpart of the plate body constituting the wall. These flanges run the fulllength of the wall.

The bottom portion of the wall 12 is inturned and the inturned portionthereof is provided, intermediate the opposite sides of the wall, withcut-away portions spaced apart to provide the recesses 21 definingtherebetween a tongue 22 and leaving the inturned flange portions 20 onopposite sides of such tongue, the purpose of the tongue beinghereinafter set forth.

Between the flanges 18 the metal of the wall is cut and pressed inwardlyto form a series of vertically spaced pairs of loops or straps 23. Inthe present illustration there are three pairs of such loops or strapssince there are three of the shelves 14 to be supported thereby in themanner hereinafter described, but it will be readily understood thatwhere a cabinet is constructed having a greater number of shelves, thepairs of straps or loops will be increased as required. Also while thereare shown on each side wall two of the loops or straps for supportingthe end of a shelf, more of such supporting loops may be provided ifdesired.

Each of the shelves 14 is also formed from a single sheet or body ofmetal of desired gauge or weight and as shown in Fig. 4, each of theseshelf bodies has a portion turned to form a longitudinal edge flange.One of these flanges is designated 24 and is located at the back of thecabinet and the other flange is designated 25 and extends across thefront of the cabinet. This front flange for each shelf has a portion ofits longitudinal edge turned in slightly to form a narrow lip 26 so thatthere is thus formed a round or smooth edge at the bottom of the flange25 which not only gives rigidity to the shelf but also protects the userof the cabinet against injury which might occur by striking the handagainst the lower part of the flange.

In addition to the longitudinal front and back flanges each of the shelfplates has an end portion downturned forming the transverse end flanges27. Each of the flanges 27 is cut part of the way through its widthadjacent to each end to form the two spaced notches 28 and to therebyform adjacent to each end of the flange 27 a locking tongue 29. Thesetongues are spaced the same distance apart as a pair of side wall strapsor loops 23 so that in the assembly of the parts to form the cabinet thetongues 29 at the ends of the shelves can be easily slipped into theproper straps by which the shelves are supported.

Each of the shelves is also provided with cut-outs 30 extending in thetransverse direction of the shelf and the material of each cut-out isturned up to form a guide rib 31 for one side of a drawer. In thepresent case, as four drawers are shown in Fig. 1, there will be five ofthese guide ribs so that each drawer will be located between and guidedby a pair of the ribs.

The top panel which forms the top of the cabinet is provided along itsfront and back edges with a downturned longitudinal front and backflange 32 and 33, respectively, and with the transverse side flanges 34which are connected or joined to the front and back flanges. In theformation of the top panel the sheet metal is preferably pressed ordrawn so that the front, back and side flanges are all pressed or drawntherefrom and are accordingly in one piece with no seams or openings atthe corners as will be readily apparent. The front flange 32 of the toppanel is slit in a transverse direction, as indicated at 35, through aportion of the width of the flange and the material of the flangebetween these slits is turned in to form the tongue 36 which correspondsto the inturned tongues 26 of the shelves. However, this inturned tongue36 terminates shore of the ends of the flange 32 of which it forms apart so as to facilitate the placement of the top panel 16 in positionin assembled relation with the side walls, as hereinafter described.

The top panel 16 of the cabinet has formed therethrough adjacent to eachside flange 34, a slot 37 which is of the proper dimensions to receive alock tongue 22 carried by the side wall of another cabinet when suchlock tongue is arranged in the proper position as illustrated in Fig. 1.

In the assembly of the present cabinet structure or of the shell orframe in which the drawers, each of which is generally designated D, arehoused, the bottom one of the shelves 14 is first engaged at one endwith a side wall 12 by placing the end of the shelf between the sidewall flanges 18 above the lowermost loops 23 and then slipping the shelfdown between the flanges 18 so as to cause the tongues 29 thereof toenter the adjacent loops 23. The opposite side 12 is then placed invertical position at the other side of the shelf and such other side ofthe shelf is in a like manner coupled with the adjacent side wall byengaging the tongues or tabs 29 in the lowermost pair of the in-struckloops 23. This procedure is then repeated with the next higher shelf andwhen the two ends of that are secured to the side walls by the loops 23,the next higher shelf is similarly placed between the walls 12 andcoupled thereto. With the shelves and two side walls now joined togetheror assembled in the manner stated, the cabinet shell or frame at thispoint in its construction is placed on one side in a suitable die andthe loops 23 are forced down against the tongues 29, passingtherethrough. This pressing action forces each of the tongues or tabs 29slightly into the opening 23', see Fig. 8, from which the loop 23 wascut. This in-pressed or deformed portion 29 of the tab thus becomessecurely locked in the opening and its removal from the supporting loopis prevented. After all of the loops of one side wall have been pressedin the manner stated to lock the tabs in the openings 23', the partiallyassembled unit is inverted and the same procedure followed for the loopsand tabs of the opposite wall. The cabinet will now be completed withthe exception of the placing of the top panel in position.

The top panel is placed over the top ends of the side walls so that theside flanges 34 are located across the outer sides of the side walls andthe front flange 18 of each side wall will be located at its top endbetween the adjacent side flange 34 and the adjacent end of the inturnedtongue 36. After thus assembling the parts the top panel is secured tothe side walls by spot welding the end portions of the front and backflanges 32 and 33 to the side wall flanges 18 as indicated at 38.

The cabinet shell or frame is now complete and ready to receive drawersD. Each of these drawers is slid into position between a pair of guideflanges 31 and in order to prevent the drawer from being pushed all theway through, the back wall 39 thereof is provided with a suitableupstanding tab 40 which functions as a stop.

While this tab may be formed in any suitable manner,

it is shown in Fig. 7 as having two spaced fingers 41 which may engageagainst the rear side of the back wall 39 of the drawer and a centralforwardly offset finger 42 which engages against the inner side of theback wall 39. This tab may be of any suitable material and secured inposition in any desired manner. It will be seen upon reference to Fig. 4that after the tab or stop 40 has been placed on the back wall of eachdrawer, it will strike the back flanges of the overlying shelves or toppanel when the drawer is pushed in and when the drawer is pulled out thetab will strike the inturned tongues of the front flanges.

It will be readily obvious that each drawer can be easily inserted intothe cabinet structure between its guide flanges 31 by tilting the drawerso as to engage the stop 40 under and behind the inturned tongue 26 of ashelf or tongue 36 of the top, after which the drawer can be dropped toa level position and slid into place.

When it is desired to place one of the cabinets upon the other and lockthe two cabinets together so that they cannot be separated, the lockingtongues 22 of the bottom flanges 20 carried by the side walls of thecabinet which is to be on top, are bent to extend downwardly below theflanges 20, as shown in Fig. 1, where one cabinet is in elevatedposition above the top of another. These down-turned tongues 22 willthen be in the proper position to extend downwardly through the slots 37in the top panel of the lower cabinet. After positioning the one cabinetupon the other with the tongues 22 in the slots 37, the top drawers ofthe bottom cabinet can be removed from each end of the top row and asuitable implement inserted between the top panel of the bottom cabinetto engage the tongues 22and bend them upwardly against the underside ofthe top panel 16 of the lowermost cabinet as illustrated in Fig. 6.

In this figure the bent portion of the tongue 22 is designated 22' andit will be seen that when so bent the top and bottom cabinets will besecurely locked together.

From the foregoing it will be seen that there is provided by the presentinvention a novel cabinet construction wherein the several parts formingthe side walls, shelves and top wall or panel may be easily and quicklyassembled and firmly locked together. In such assembling operation thenecessity of spot welding is eliminated except for the connection of thefront and back flanges of the top panel to the adjacent flanges 18 ofthe side walls.

It will also be seen from the foregoing that a person after havingpurchased one of the cabinet units and findmg that more drawer space isrequired, can obtain a second cabinet unit and easily arrange one uponthe other and securely lock them together in the manner described so asto have in effect a single structure, though made up of two separateunits and, of course, others can be added to any desired extent.

I claim:

1. A cabinet structure comprising two spaced side walls, a top wallconnecting said side walls, shelves sup ported in vertically spacedrelation by and between said side walls, a plurality of drawerssupported on each shelf for sliding movement in a transverse directionthereon, means for limiting the in and out sliding movements of thedrawers, said top wall having a slot therein adjacent .to each sideWall, a locking tongue carried by each side wall at the bottom thereofand having an initial position in which it extends inwardly inapproximately right angular relation to its side wall, said tongue beingbendable to a position to extend downwardly substantially coplanar withits wall and being of a form and positioned to extend into a slot of thetop wall of an underlying cabinet, each of said side walls having aninturned bottom edge flange forming a supporting base, each of said baseforming flanges having spaced portions cut away whereby the portionlying between the cut-away portions functions in one instance as asupporting part of the base and in another instance after being bentforms said tongue.

2. A utility cabinet, comprising two side walls each having an inturnedbottom flange forming a supporting base and vertical front and back edgeflanges directed inwardly, a bottom shelf having downturned front, backand end flanges and extending between the side walls and confined ateach end between the side wall front and back flanges, said end flangeslying in close proximity to the side wall bottom flanges and each beingcut out to form downwardly extending tongues, each side wall havinginstruck loops in each of which a tongue is locked, at top wall havingan encircling downturned flange and extending between the side walls,the top portions of the side walls lying within the top wall flange andsaid flange lying across the top ends of the side wall front and backflanges, means securing the top wall flange to the side walls, anintermediate shelf between the bottom shelf and the top Wall and havingdownturned end flanges, said last mentioned end flanges each being cutout to form downwardly extending tongues, each side wall having otherinstruck loops in each of which one of the last mentioned tongues islocked, and drawer units supported upon each shelf for sliding movementtransversely thereof.

3. The invention according to claim 2, wherein said top wall flangealong the front of the cabinet has an inturned lip portion whichterminates at each end against the edge of a side wall front flange.

4. The invention according to claim 2, wherein the intermediate shelfhas a downturned front and back edge flange, stop means carried by andprojecting upwardly from the back part of each drawer unit on the lowershelf for limiting inward and outward movements of the unit by contactwith the front and back flanges of the overlying intermediate shelf, andother stop means carried by and projecting upwardly from the back partof each drawer unit on the intermediate shelf for limiting inward andoutward movements of the latter units by contact with the parts of theflange of the top along the front and back part thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

